Chill Cereal Bar’s Grassroots Start and Community Outreach

March 17, 2020

Chill Cereal Bar and Cafe recently joined the Asheville Chamber, and they’ve quickly made waves in the community for their inventive business idea – creating a self-service bar of everyone’s favorite cereals with a variety of milk. Patricia Waters and her son Elijah run the business together; of her son’s involvement, she says, “As Elijah’s mom, I wanted to show him what can come from hard work and determination. That led me to take his vision and turn it into a reality.”

This week, in response to COVID-19, Patricia and Elijah are taking Chill Cereal Bar to the streets. Each day, they will set up shop in a housing community in Asheville so no one has to go hungry due to school closures.

Tell us about your business and the role you play in it. 

The Chill Cereal Bar and Cafe is a really fun event for folks of all ages. When experiencing the cereal bar, you will laugh, have fun, and enjoy all kinds of cereal, milk, and toppings. The business is focused on bringing families and people together to spend quality time with each other while eating something that everyone loves: cereal!

How did you get the idea for your business and pick a name? 

The business was created by son Elijah, who is 13 years old. As Elijah’s mom, I wanted to show him what can come from hard work and determination. That led me to take his vision and turn it into a reality. Elijah designed the logo and came up with the name! It was his idea, so I wanted him to design what he thought his business logo should look like.

What makes Chill Cereal Bar unique? 

We are currently the only pop up cereal bar in Asheville. We are mobile, and can set up and take down shop within a reasonable time. When it comes to supplies, we are really versatile in the milk, cereal, and toppings that we provide. If the product is available, we can bring it to you! We’re unique in what we do, and want to bring the community back together, one bowl of cereal at a time!

During the first year of business, what was the greatest lesson you learned? 

The greatest lesson I’ve learned is that networking is THE most important aspect of starting a business. I have met so many wonderful people who constantly encourage me and guide me through this process.The business is growing every day, and it’s due to the networking effort I’m putting forth.

Why did you decide to join the Chamber? 

I was born and raised in Asheville. I love this area! Everything in the city is unique, which is why Chill Cereal Bar is perfect for this area. We are mobile, fun unique, and family-friendly. Asheville is a tourist town and I love the diversity of people and business.

What changes has Chill Cereal Bar made in light of COVID-19 and recent health concerns? 

Chill Cereal Bar has been distributing cereal and milk to kids throughout different neighborhoods this week. This virus has come rapidly and has caused schools to close for two weeks. Our mission is that a child should not go without, and we don’t want any kids missing out on breakfast due to school closure.

We want to thank everyone for their support. Now it’s time for us to give back.

Follow Chill Cereal Bar on Facebook and Instagram.